Method of and means for making leak-tight paper cans



4 Sheets-Sheet l akmxxxaaavkkwmm A. H. BEDWORTH Filed April 8, 1933 March 27, 1934.-

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING LEAK TIGHT PAPER CANS .II I Will I Ri March 27, 1934. A. H. BEDWORTH 1,952,530

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING LEAK TIGHT PAPER CANS Filed April 8, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 27, 1934. A. H. BEDWORTH METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING LEAK TIGHT PAPER CANS Filed April 8, 1935 4 sh ets-sheet 5 artifiurflbedwortiz Y 29 diioz ugy March 27, 1934. 1,952,530

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING LEAK TIGHT PAPER CANS A. H. BEDWORTH Filed April 8, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Pk w ed p n a dttorzzqy Patented Mar. 27,1934

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING LEAK-TIGHT PAPER CANS Arthur H. Bellworth,-Everett, Masa, assignor' to Specialty Automatic Machine Company, Oh sea, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 8,1933, Serial No. 665,212 j 18 Claims. ((21. 93-36) The invention relates to the manufacture of paper containers of the type commonly referred to as paper cans, for holding material so enclosed that air can not gain access thereto, and the contents or the aroma of the contents can not escape therefrom, and the invention has particular reference to the manufacture of paper cans by means or a method of treatment that will render the covers easy to put in place or remove, and yet tight-enough to absolutely prevent any leakage.

Great difficulty has been experienced both in the manufacture and in the use of cylindrical'can covers because of the difllculty in placing tightfltting covers on the cans both at the time of manufacture and at the time of filling by those who use the cans. The articles are shipped from the factory with a cover in place on each can. Necessarily in the old style of such can closures, the cover fitted the can extremely tight so as to prevent leakage or slopping of the contents when such contents are-more or less liquid.

The object 'of the present invention is to provide containers of the type referred to and which, although easily assembled when the covers are slipped onto the bodies, yet fit each other so tight- 1y as to prevent any leakage. This object I at- I tain by providing the covers or bodies of paper cans with beads or rings so deformed that when moisture comes in contact therewith, the fibers of the paper stock-will more readily swell, thus helping to tighten the joint between the two members. Y

The present invention will be described in connection .with the production, of the lid or cover members having their flanges provided with rings or beads deformed inwardly to coact with the outer surfaces of the bodies of the cans, but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself thereto as the said rings or beads may, by *the same method or means, be deformed outwardly if the flanges of the covers are to fit inside the bodies, or such rings or beads'may be deformed in the bodiesof the cans instead of the flanges ofthecovers. V

The article produced by the method or means described and claimed herein forms the subject matter of my application filed November 2, 1931. Serial No. 572,492, of which application the present one is a continuation in part.

Of the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention as employed in connection.

with the top or cover member of a paper can: Figure 1 is an elevation, partly broken away, of my improved machine.

Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of a finished can cover. 7

Figure 3 represents a section, enlarged, on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an elevation, partly in section, on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 represents a section, enlarged, on-line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is 'an'elevation from the opposite side of Figure 1, and partly in section on line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 represents ,a section, enlarged, on line- 7-7 ofFigure 1. I

Figure 8 is a detail elevation of some of the parts, looking in from the right of Figure 1.

Figure 9 represents a section, enlarged, on line 9-9 of Figure 1.

Figure 10 is aperspective view of thefeeding plunger.

Figure 11 is a view similar to the central por- I6 tion of Figure 7, but enlarged'and somewhat exaggerated to emphasize the action of the deformin's' dies. r

Similar reference characters denote similar parts or features in all of the views.

Projecting from one side of the frame base 12 (Fig. 4) is a bracket 13,- and another bracket rises from said base, the two brackets having bearings for a shaft 15 adapted to be driven by a belt engaging the pulley 16 when the latter is operatively li connected to the shaft as by a clutch 1'7 controlled by a pivoted form 18 having a manually operable lever 19. The machine may however, obviously, be otherwise driven. v

The. shaft 15 has a pinion 20 engaging a gear 00 21 carried by a shaft '22 mounted at one end-in the bracket 14 and at the other end in an upright frame member 23 the general shape of which is best illustrated in Figure 6. Said frame member 23 and a similar one 24 are suitably se- 06 cured to, and rise from, the base 12 (Figs. 4

and 8).

Miter gears 25 (Figs. 4 and 6) transmit motion from the shaft 22 to 'a shaft 26 mounted in bearings 26" and having a cam member 27 the groove 27'- of'which coacts with rolls 28 of the four arms constitutingjhe spider 29 carried by the shaft 30 -mounted in the framemembers23, 24, so as to.

rotate the shaft 30 and its spider intermittently with fourv steps of rotation to each complete r0 106 tation of the shaft 28, and cause apause after each step or rotation.

The shaft 80 (Figs. 1 and 8) carries a turret 31 having; at each one of four equi-distant points,

a fixed stud 82 on the outer end of which (Fig. 5)

- roll 34 having a peripheral groove 34.

is a raceway for ball bearings 33 in the hub of is.

$2. grooved roll is freely rotatable on the stud 32. It will be hereinafter referred to as a rotary female die. Each one of the four female dies 34, 34 coacts as hereinafter described, with a driven male die, to deform a groove in the flange of. a can cover and effect the formation of a bead projecting from the Opposite surface of said flange.

Leading from a suitable magazine not necessary to illustrate, is an inclined chute 35 (Fig. 1) for the can covers A which are to be operated upon by the machine, said chute having an upturned lower end to arrest the lowermost can cover in correct position to be transferred therefrom onto one of the female dies as will now be described.

Carried by the shaft 26 (Fig. 8) is a cam 37 engaging a roll 38 of an arm 39 pivoted at 40 in a frame bearing 41. A link 42 connects the arm 39 with an arm 43of a rock shaft 44 mounted in a frame bearing 44 and which has another arm 45 forked to engage a pin projecting from the plunger rod 46 slidably mounted in the frame member 24. The inner end of the rod 46 carries a plunger head 47 (Fig. 9) one side of which is recessed at 48 (Figs. 8 and 10) for a purpose presently explained. A spring 49 (Fig. 8) so connects the link 42 with one of the frame members as to maintain the roll 38 in contact with the cam 37 and to maintain the plunger head in the outer position shown in Figure 9 at the proper times. Then when the high portion of the cam 37 acts through the members just described, to push the plunger to the right, (Fig. 9), the lowermost can cover on the chute 35 is pushed onto the female die 34. This occurs while the turret 31 is in one of its temporarily arrested positions.

The purpose of the recess 48 in the side of the plunger head 47 is to enable said head, after transferring a can cover onto the female die, to return to its outer position illustrated in Figure 9 without pulling away or dislodging the next can cover on the chute 35. Figure 1 illustrates the position of the head 47 as it is being moved back so that the next can cover can roll down tothe stop 36 and be in position for the next operation of these parts of the machine Carried by the shaft 22 is a cam 50 (Figs. 1, 4'

and 6) which acts on a roll 51 carried by a pivoted arm 52 which is connected by a link 53 to an arm 54 of a rock shaft 55. A spring 53" connects the link 53 with a fixed extension arm of the frame 23 tomaintain the roll 51 in contact with the cam 50. The rock shaft 55 also has a pair of depending arms 56 fixed to it (Fig. 7) in which arms a shaft 57 is mounted. Carried by'the shaft 57, between the arms 56, is a disk 58 provided with a. peripheral head or rib 58. The said disk and its rib will be hereinafter referred to asthe male die. It is positively rotated by means of the pinion 59 fixed to the shaft 57, said pinion intermeshing with a gear 60 (Figs. 1 and 4) carried by a sleeve 61 rotatably mounted on the shaft 55 and having a sprocket 62 connected by a chain with a sprocket 63 carried by the shaft 22'.

It is desirable to explain at this point that the timing of operation of the parts so far described is such that while the turret 31, which is rotated intermittently in counter clockwise direction (Fig. 1) is in each position of rest, a can' cover A is transferred from the lower end of the chute 35 onto one of the four female dies carried by the turret. Then that can cover, during the next quarter rotation of the turret,

is transferred over to position close to the male die 58, a'nd during the next ensuing period of rest of the'turret, another can cover is transferred fromfthe chute onto the next female die. and the can-cover which has been moved over close to the'male die (Fig. 7) is then having a groove B deformed in its flange. This deforming operation is such that the paper stock is pressed inward and causes the inner layers of fibers to break or separate, whereby the stock becomes more porous and therefore more susceptible to'moisture as explained in my application hereinbefore referred to. The result is that when such a cover is fitted onto a can body, the deformed inner rib will more readily swell and aid in tightening the joint between the cover and the can body.

Referring to Figures-1, 4 and 7, a flat faced ring 64 is provided, connected with the frame member 24. This ring serves to maintain the can covers in accurate lateral positions on the female dies while being transported from place to place, and while being operated upon as has been described and while having the grooves B of the can covers tinted or colored as will be presently described.

To aid in preserving the paper material in the form of a bead capable of-maintaining the useful' purpose described, and to also emphasize the existence of the deformed rib or bead and thereby constitute a mark that will aid in indicating the goods to the trade, a coating preferably contrasting with the tint or color of the paper can cover is applied to the groove that is formed as so far described. Said coating may be of any preferred tint or character, and will be referred to herein as pigment. The means for applying the pigment will now be described.

Carried by the shaft 22 (Fig. 1) is a cam 65 which acts on a roll 66 carried by an arm 67 (Fig. 6) pivoted to the frame member 23 and having a link 68 connected to its outer end, said link having a. spring 69 connected to it. The lower end of the link is connected to an arm 70 of a rock shaft 71, the latter having two arms 72, (Figs. 3 and 4), which provide bearings for the shaft 73 of the pigment-applying roll 74, said shaft 73 having a pinion 75 intermeshing with a gear 76 which is secured to a sleeve 77 mounted loosely on the rock shaft '71. Said sleeve has a sprocket 78 connected by a chain witha sprocket 79 of the shaft 22. By means of the gearing just described, the pigment roll 74 is constantly driven from the shaft 22, but by means of the cam 65 and spring 69 the said roll '14 is swung to and away from the can cover A which has stopped adjacent thereto. The

portion of the roll which carries the pigment is narrow (Fig. 3) so that when it enters the groove B of the can cover, said cover and the female die which is carrying it are rotated by the friction of the constantly rotating roll 74, and pigment is laid in said groove.

Any-suitable means for supplying pigment to the roll 74 while it is in outward swung position -may be employed. In Figure 6 I have illusnarrow in fact that the pigment carried by it is applied only in the groove 3 of the can cover and so far back of or below the surface at the sides of'the groove that when a finished cover is being handled or applied to or removed from a can cover, any rubbing or the handling of 7 said cover will not result in the recessed stripe of color being smeared, orits durability being otherwise affected.

As so far described, each can cover has been operated upon three times'; first when pushed laterally from the lower 'end of the chute 35 onto one of the female dies as shown near the center of the top of Figure 1, second when it has been carried over and stops for the male de 58 to form the groove B in its flange or lip, and third when it has been carried down'and stops to have pigment applied in said groove. Then, when the turret completes its next quarter turn, the completed can cover is removed from the female die which carried it. Themechanism for eflecting such removal will now be described.

Referring to Figures 8 and 8, the shaft 26 carries a cam 84 which'engagesa roll 85 carried by an arm 86pivoted at 87 to a bearing bracket 87 and having its lower end 86' adapted to contact with the head of a push rod 88 slidably mounted in the frame member 23 (Fg. 5). .The inner end of the push rod 88 has ascrew 89 adjustably mounted therein. A spring 90, coiled about the push rod, is confined between the frame member 23 and the head of the push rod.

slidably mounted in each stud 32 which carries a ball bearing for a female die, is the stem end of an ejector 91 which is normally retained in the pos tion illustrated in Figure 5 by a spring 92. Now when the turret moves so as to carry a can cover away from the location where the pigment has been applied in its groove, the said turret makes its next stop with the stem of the ejector 91 opposite the head of the screw 89 of 'the push rod. Instantly'after such stoppage, the

cam 84 and the connections described cause the push rod 88 to move from the position illustrated in Fgure 5 to the position illustrated in Figure 8, the disk endof the ejector 91 pushing the completed can cover off from the female die, and said cover is then free to slide down a chute 93 into any suitable receptacle. This leaves the die from which the completed can cover has been removed, free to have a new can cover mounted thereon when the turret completes its next step of rotation.

As best illustrated in Fgure 11, the height of the bead or rib 58 of the male die sufficiently exceeds the depth of the groove 34" in each of the female dies, to effect a stretching action on the paper, without exerting any pressure along the stretched line of the groove. In other words, the

relative proportions of the rib 58' and groove 34 are such that the bottom of the groove 34 offers no resistance to the deform ng pressure of the rib 58*, and therefore the fibers of the paper along the apex or inner surface of the deformed ring remain spread or stretched to be in condition to absorb moisture and swell when the cover is'applied to can body and therefore provide a tight Joint between the cover and body. If the meeting surfaces of the male and female dies corresponded, instead of the groove 84 being deeper than the height or amount of projection of the rib 58, a deformed bead could'be made, but the pressure would be the same entirely acrossthe bead and therefore there would be little or no pulling or stretching action so as to leave the inner surface of the deformed ring in a condition to absorb moisture. That is, the bottom of the groove 34'} would resist the effecting of porosity along the apex of the bead that is to bear on a can body.

As illustrated in Figures '1 and 11, the female die 34 and male die 58 have .smooth peripheral surfaces along both sides of the groove 34 and Said peripheral surfaces serve to grip or pinch the material that is between them in locations at opposite sides of the point where the deformation is being effected.- If the two rotary dies were not formed to effect such pinching, then the action of the rib 58 would draw the material somewhat into the groove 34" without effecting the desired stretching or expansion of the deformed ring B.

The operations of the several-portions of the machine having been described in connection with the descriptionsbf the deta ls of said portions, it will be unnecessary to describe the operation of the machine as a whole. It is desirable however to emphasize that the machine as a whole is capable of high speed of production because iteffects four different operations or results simultaneously, viz: one part of the machine assembles can covers consecutively with female dies, another part of the machine effects the'deforming of the rings in said covers, another part of the machine effects the application of visible and protective pigment in the grooved surfaces of said rings, and another part of the machine automatically removes each finished article and leaves the die which carried it free to have another one applied to it, all four of these operations occurring s'multaneously.

Having now described my invention, I claim:-

1. The method of making a paper can member capable of ensuring a tight joint when assembled with a coacting member, consisting in progressively exerting a stretching pressure on the material along a line around the article, and pinching the material along both sides of said line simultaneously with the progressive stretching pressure.

2. The method of making a paper can member capable of ensuring a tight joint when assembled with a coacting member, consisting in rolling said member between male and female dies the coact- .ing surfaces of which are relatively shapedto pinch the paper along two lines and stretch and part the fibers of the paper between said two lines.

3. That improvement in the method of making a leak-tight'paper can, consisting in deforming a bead in one member of the can by pressure 0 exerted progressively along .a line of one surface of the material while the opposite surface is free from offering resistance to the deforming pressure, and simultaneously gripping the paper along both sides of said lines.

4. That improvement in the method of making a leak-tight paper can, consisting in rotating one member of the can and while rotating subjecting one surface of the material to pressure along a circumferential line while the opposite surface is free from pressure, and simultaneously gripping the. paper along both sides of said line.

5. That improvement in the method of making a leak-tight paper can, consisting in deforming a bead in the .fiange of 'the cover member of the can by pressure exerted progressively along a line around the outer surface of said flange while the inner surface opposite the line of deforming pressure is free from offering resistance to such 150 pressure, and simultaneously gripping the paper along both sides of said line.

6. That improvement in the method of making a leak-tight paper can, consisting in deforming a bead in one member of the can, and imparting .to the recessed surface of the bead a color or tint differing from the rest of the can.

'7. That improvement in the method of making a leak-tight paper can, consisting in deforming a head in one member of the can by pressure exerted against one surface of the material while the opposite surface is free from offering resistance to the deforming pressure, and applying a pigment in the groove resulting from such pressure.

8. That improvement in the method of making a leak-tight paper can, consisting in deforming a head in one member of the can, and applying a pigment to the recessed surface of the head.

9. In a machine for providing a hollow paper member with a deformed bead, a pair of rotatable dies one of which has a peripheral rib and the other has a peripheral recess, means for relatively moving said dies to bring one of them peripherally adjacent to the other and then separate them. and means for automatically mounting a hollow paper member on one of the dies while said dies are separated.

10. In a machine for providing a hollow paper member with a deformed bead, a pair of rotatable dies one of which has a peripheral rib and the other has a peripheral recess, means for causing one of said dies to move in a direction past the other die, and means for temporarily arresting the movable die in position with its periphery adjacent to the periphery of the other die.

11. Mechanism for providing a hollow paper member with a deformed bead, comprising an intermittently movable plurality of idly-mounted cylindrical peripherally recessed dies, and a rotary die having a peripheral rib of less height than the depth of the recesses in said intermit tently movable dies, the said ribbed die being in position to coact with each recessed die while the latter is adjacent thereto.

12. In mechanism of the character described, a rotary male die having a peripheral rib, means for driving said die, an intermittently rotatable shaft having an arm carrying an idly-mounted femaledie having a peripheral recessof greater depth than the height of the rib of the male die, and means for holding said shaft and its arm stationary with the female die in proximity to the male die.

means for applying a pigment in the grooved surface of the bead.

15. In mechanism of the character described,

a rotary male die havinga peripheral rib, means for driving said die, a shaft carrying a plurality of idly-mounted female dies each of which has a peripheral recess of greater depth than the height of the rib of the male die, means for intermittently rotating said shaft and holding it with one of the female dies in proximity to the male die at one step of rotation of the shaft, and means for applying a pigment to the surface acted upon by the rib of the male die at another step of rotation of the shaft. I

16. Mechanism for providing paper cylinders with deformed grooves, said mechanism including an intermittently movable carrier for a plurality of the cylinders, and means for applying one cylinder to position on the carrier while the carrier is at rest and while a preceding cylinder is being deformed.

17. Mechanism for providing paper cylinders with deformed and tinted grooves, said mechanism includingan intermittently movable carrier for-a plurality of the cylinders, and means for simultaneously applying a cylinder to position on the carrier, forming a groove in another cylinder, and applying tinting material to the groove in another cylinder, all while the carrier is at rest.

18. Mechanism for providing paper cylinders with deformed and tinted grooves, said mechanism including an intermittently movable-carrier for four of the cylinders, and means for simultaneously applying a cylinder to position on the carrier, forming a groove in another cylinder, applying tinting material to the groove in another cylinder, and removing a grooved and tinted cylinder from the carrier, all while the carrier is at rest.

ARTHUR H. BEDWORTH. 

